If a blog about an effective presentation sounds too basic for you, stop for a moment. You need to be effective and persuasive at communicating if you want your ideas to turn into action. Imagine you’ve worked hard on a project that you know will make an impact. If you can’t ‘sell the idea’ to the decision maker, it won’t go forward. You have to get it right. That’s why I’m writing this article.
The focus of this blog is not on the form or style of the presentation, I’ll refer to that though. This piece is about the content and structure to grab a decision maker’s attention. I’ll share hacks and tricks I learned from presenting to the President, seeing other ministers do it and from my own expectations of what I was looking for as a minister.
Start with your intention
Next time you have to present something, focus on your goal. What do you want to achieve with that presentation? Why should your audience care? In other words, when people walk out of that room – Zoom call to be precise- what do you want them to have in mind. That’s how you start.
How your presentation looks matters
The purpose of your ‘presentation’s look’ is to grab your audience’s attention. In the same way that if you are in a restaurant, you’ll be more likely to order a dish that looks delicious that is served to another table. The presentation has to be professional, clear and easy to read. It’s powerful to have images that support your main points when that’s possible. Our brain decodes visual information 60,000 times faster than text. Remember, the presentation is a complement to what you say. Don’t leave people wondering whether they should listen to you or read.
A beautiful presentation alone doesn’t do the trick, you need substance
Be ready to present in three minutes
Build your presentation as if the person you are presenting to could leave in 3 minutes. Think of it as an elevator pitch. What would s/he need to know before leaving? Be clear on the action you want them to take. Have that clear first to build your presentation.
When I worked at the President’s office, I saw first-hand what a busy agenda looks like. Urgent matters always came up. That meant the President could leave at any minute. People that were effective at grabbing his attention at the start of the meeting, or just before he left, were able to either present later that day or reschedule with a higher priority, meaning their issue could be resolved and action could happen faster. Obviously, the subject of the meeting played a key role, but those initial minutes were crucial to explain why that meeting was important. There are two things you can do.
1. Start your meeting strong
Briefly explain what’s the purpose of the meeting and why it matters. Emphasize what’s at stake. The advantage of working in the public sector is that very likely you are already dealing with relevant issues. State the topics you’ll cover and the outcome expected by the end of the meeting. Show that you have a clear action plan.
2. Have your 3-minute presentation ready
Imagine you are in the middle of your presentation, and the decision maker needs to leave. She gives you five more minutes. What do you do? Go to the slide you must have in every presentation, your summary.
In this slide you’ll have the most relevant information of the meeting and a clear call to action. Depending on the topic you could present evidence of your policy, estimated budget or results of the evaluation of a program. In other words, what does the person you are presenting to need to know to take the action you want them to take.
If you are in a situation where your meeting ends up being a five-minute talk, that slide will guide you through the most important points. Always have two printed copies of that slide, for you and for the person you are presenting to. When you have the opportunity to explain your ideas, don’t miss it.
Build an expandable presentation
Prepare your presentation so that you can adapt it with the flow of the meeting. Start with the level of detail you think is adequate. But, be ready to enter into as much detail as necessary to make your point -with just a few clicks- and stay within the time frame of your meeting. The opposite can be equally important. You might need to skip parts or go faster in others. Remember your final goal. By the end of the meeting, you want …
Finalize your presentation with a clear all to action.
There is one question you don’t want your audience to have at the end of your presentation: So what?
Have a clear call to action. It might be that you want someone to choose between three alternatives. You want the approval to move forward or to change something. Don’t forget to give all the pieces of information required to make a decision. It’s always useful to think about the objections the other person could have to the point you’re trying to make. It might be that your proposal takes too much time, is expensive or simply that it is not politically supportable. Consider those and address them in your presentation. Don’t leave it to the end.
Present with confidence and passion
I won’t get into the details of presenting, but there are three points that are relevant:
- Understand your audience. You probably know what your boss likes and doesn’t like. We all have our own preferences and biases. Thinking of those as you prepare your presentation will strengthen your presentation.
- Not everyone is an extrovert or a Ted talk speaker and that’s ok. You need the confidence that comes from knowing your subject. This generates credibility and trust for the decision maker. Show your passion for the topic, explain why you care and why that matters.
- Practice. The more important your presentation, the more you practice. Don’t skip this step. It will make you feel more confident and familiar with your presentation. When you present to someone else, you can identify areas that aren’t clear or that need improvement.
To sum up
Start with the purpose of your presentation. Make it look professional, clear and engaging. Focus on the substance and get ready for every possible scenario, from a 3-minute meeting to one where all the details are required. Present with passion and confidence in yourself.
